1.Integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation for identification of mechanism of icariin targeting PLK1 in inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma
Wei ZHANG ; Fenglian MA ; Xiangjun SUN
Digital Chinese Medicine 2026;9(1):130-143
Objective:
To systematically elucidate the molecular mechanisms and core targets underlying the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) effects of icariin through integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation.
Methods:
Potential targets of icariin were screened using the PubChem database and SwissTargetPrediction platform, followed by intersection analysis with HCC-related genes from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to characterize the biological functions of candidate targets. Key genes were identified using the random survival forest algorithm, and their associations with the tumor microenvironment were evaluated through immune infiltration analysis. Molecular docking was employed to predict the binding affinity between icariin and its core targets, which was subsequently validated by in vitro enzyme inhibition assays. Functional targets were determined through overexpression experiments in HepG2 cells, and mechanistic investigations were conducted using Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation techniques. In vivo anti-tumor efficacy was evaluated using a subcutaneous HepG2 xenograft mouse model by monitoring tumor volume progression and endpoint tumor weight, and the impact of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) overexpression on icariin-mediated tumor growth inhibition was assessed.
Results:
Network pharmacology analysis identified 36 common targets between icariin and HCC, which were primarily enriched in hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), and forkhead box O (FoxO) signaling pathways. Among these, PLK1, ATP binding cassette subfamily C member 1 (ABCC1), and matrix metallopeptidase 3 (MMP3) were identified as key genes, with their high expression significantly associated with poor patient prognosis (P <
2.Clinical analysis of surgical resection after conversion therapy for patients with initially unresectable HCC
Xianzhou ZHANG ; Bo MENG ; Hao ZHUANG ; Yongnian REN ; Ju MA ; Haibo YU ; Min ZHANG ; Xiangjun QIAN ; Xiaopei HAO ; Feng HAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatobiliary Surgery 2025;31(10):727-731
Objective:To evaluate the safety and feasibility of radical hepatectomy after conversion therapy in patients with initially unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Clinical data of 72 patients with initially unresectable advanced HCC admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and the Department of Hepatobi-liary and Pancreatic Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to July 2024 were retrospectively collected, including 61 males and 11 females, aged (58.4±9.1) years. The clinicopathological data of the patients, such as tumor characteristics, conversion treatment regimens, perioperative data, and follow-up situations were analyzed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety.Results:Among the patients, there were five cases of China liver cancer staging Ⅰb, six cases of Ⅱa, 22 cases of Ⅱb, 32 cases of Ⅲa and sevene cases of Ⅲb. There were 53 patients scored as Child-Pugh A and 19 as Child-Pugh B. Conversion treatment fashion included immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy plus targeted therapy combined with hepatic arterial chemoembolization or hepatic arteryinfusion chemotherapy. Liver resection after conversion therapy was as follows: 16 cases of right hemihepatectomy, 20 cases of left hemihepatectomy, 11 cases of mesohepatectomy, seven cases of right posterior hepatectomy, 1 case of caudate lobectomy, 17 cases of local resection. Postoperative pathology showed that there were 17 cases of pathologic complete response and 55 cases of pathologic partial response. One patient died of liver failure after surgery, while the rest had no major complications. The postoperative hospital stay was (13.1±5.1) d. The follow-up time was 21.5(10.2, 32.1) months. The multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that pathologic partial response and adjuvant therapy duration shorter than 5 cycles were identified as independent risk factors-affecting both recurrence-free survival and overall survival in patients with HCC undergoing sequential surgery after conversion therapy (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Sequential surgical resection provides survival benefits for patients with initially unresectable and advanced HCC after conversion therapy, which is a safe and effective therapeutic strategy.
3.Clinical analysis of surgical resection after conversion therapy for patients with initially unresectable HCC
Xianzhou ZHANG ; Bo MENG ; Hao ZHUANG ; Yongnian REN ; Ju MA ; Haibo YU ; Min ZHANG ; Xiangjun QIAN ; Xiaopei HAO ; Feng HAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatobiliary Surgery 2025;31(10):727-731
Objective:To evaluate the safety and feasibility of radical hepatectomy after conversion therapy in patients with initially unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Clinical data of 72 patients with initially unresectable advanced HCC admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and the Department of Hepatobi-liary and Pancreatic Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to July 2024 were retrospectively collected, including 61 males and 11 females, aged (58.4±9.1) years. The clinicopathological data of the patients, such as tumor characteristics, conversion treatment regimens, perioperative data, and follow-up situations were analyzed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety.Results:Among the patients, there were five cases of China liver cancer staging Ⅰb, six cases of Ⅱa, 22 cases of Ⅱb, 32 cases of Ⅲa and sevene cases of Ⅲb. There were 53 patients scored as Child-Pugh A and 19 as Child-Pugh B. Conversion treatment fashion included immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy plus targeted therapy combined with hepatic arterial chemoembolization or hepatic arteryinfusion chemotherapy. Liver resection after conversion therapy was as follows: 16 cases of right hemihepatectomy, 20 cases of left hemihepatectomy, 11 cases of mesohepatectomy, seven cases of right posterior hepatectomy, 1 case of caudate lobectomy, 17 cases of local resection. Postoperative pathology showed that there were 17 cases of pathologic complete response and 55 cases of pathologic partial response. One patient died of liver failure after surgery, while the rest had no major complications. The postoperative hospital stay was (13.1±5.1) d. The follow-up time was 21.5(10.2, 32.1) months. The multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated that pathologic partial response and adjuvant therapy duration shorter than 5 cycles were identified as independent risk factors-affecting both recurrence-free survival and overall survival in patients with HCC undergoing sequential surgery after conversion therapy (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Sequential surgical resection provides survival benefits for patients with initially unresectable and advanced HCC after conversion therapy, which is a safe and effective therapeutic strategy.
4.Study on the differential markers of Morus alba leaves before and after baked with honey based on fingerprint and chemometrics
Beibei YAN ; Xiaoping ZHANG ; Huanyun QIN ; Xiangjun ZHAO ; Bingmei SHAO ; Jingzhen TIAN ; Dalong MA
China Pharmacy 2024;35(10):1198-1202
OBJECTIVE To compare the changes of chemical components of Morus alba leaves, screen differential markers, and determine their contents, so as to provide reference for quality control of M. alba leaves before and after baked with honey. METHODS The fingerprints of M. alba leaves before and after baked with honey were established by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The common peaks of the fingerprints were identified and the similarity was evaluated. The differential markers of M. alba leaves before and after baked with honey were screened by principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) using common peak are of raw material and product baked with honey of M. alba leaves as index. The quantitative analysis was carried out. RESULTS Twenty-three and twenty-four common peaks were identified from the HPLC fingerprint spectra of ten batches of raw material and ten batches of product baked with honey of M. alba leaves, respectively. The similarities of HPLC fingerprints for raw material and product baked with honey of M. alba leaves were all greater than 0.97. The results of PCA showed that raw material and product baked with honey of M. alba leaves could be divided into two categories. The results of OPLS-DA showed that the variable importance in projection of peak 2, peak H (5- hydroxymethylfurfural), peak 1, peak 17 (isochlorogenic acid C) and peak 16 were all greater than 1. The average contents of differential marker of isochlorogenic acid C in raw material and product baked with honey of M. alba leaves were 0.093 6 and 0.127 8 mg/g, respectively; there was statistical significance (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Five differential markers such as isochlorogenic acid C are obtained. The content of isochlorogenic acid C in M. alba leaves is significantly increased after baked with honey.
5.Integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and network pharmacology to investigate multi-target effects of sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum on improving HFD-induced diabetic nephropathy rats.
Lidan HU ; Lili YU ; Zhongkai CAO ; Yue WANG ; Caifeng ZHU ; Yayu LI ; Jiazhen YIN ; Zhichao MA ; Xuelin HE ; Ying ZHANG ; Wunan HUANG ; Yuelin GUAN ; Yue CHEN ; Xue LI ; Xiangjun CHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(12):101105-101105
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major metabolic disease endangering global health, with diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a primary complication lacking curative therapy. Sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum (GLP), an herbal medicine, has been used for the treatment of metabolic disorders. In this study, DN was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using streptozotocin (STZ) and a high-fat diet (HFD), and the protective mechanisms of GLP were investigated through transcriptomic, metabolomic, and network pharmacology (NP) analyses. Our results demonstrated that GLP intervention ameliorated renal damage and inflammation levels in DN rats. Integrative metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that GLP treatment modulated glucose and cellular energy metabolisms by regulating relevant genes. GLP significantly suppressed the inflammations by impacting glucose and energy metabolism-related gene expression (Igfbp1 and Angptl4) and enhanced metabolic biomarkers of 4-Aminocatechol. In addition, NP analysis further indicated that GLP may efficiently alleviate DN via immune-related pathways. In conclusion, this study provides supportive evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of GLP supplements, highlighting their potential for promising clinical applications in treating DN.
6.Melatonin enhances the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 by improving hypoxia in residual tumors after insufficient radiofrequency ablation
Ren YANQIAO ; Zhu LICHENG ; Guo YUSHENG ; Ma JINQIANG ; Yang LIAN ; Zheng CHUANSHENG ; Dong XIANGJUN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(8):1176-1188
The hypoxic microenvironment and inflammatory state of residual tumors caused by insufficient radio-frequency ablation(iRFA)are major reasons for rapid tumor progression and pose challenges for immu-notherapy.We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)treated with RFA and observed that iRFA was associated with poor survival outcomes and progression-free survival.Using an orthotopic HCC mouse model and a colorectal liver metastasis model,we observed that treatment with melatonin after iRFA reduced tumor growth and metastasis and achieved the best out-comes when combined with anti-programmed death-ligand 1(anti-PD-L1)therapy.In mechanism,melatonin inhibited the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions,hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF)-1 α,and PD-L1 in tumor cells after iRFA.Flow cytometry revealed that melatonin reduced the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and increased the proportion of CD8+T cells.Transcriptomic analysis revealed an upregulation of immune-activated function-related genes in residual tumors.These findings demonstrated that melatonin can reverse hypoxia and iRFA-induced inflammation,thereby overcoming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment(TME)and enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy.
7.Integrating transcriptomics,metabolomics,and network pharmacology to investigate multi-target effects of sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum on improving HFD-induced diabetic nephropathy rats
Lidan HU ; Lili YU ; Zhongkai CAO ; Yue WANG ; Caifeng ZHU ; Yayu LI ; Jiazhen YIN ; Zhichao MA ; Xuelin HE ; Ying ZHANG ; Wunan HUANG ; Yuelin GUAN ; Yue CHEN ; Xue LI ; Xiangjun CHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(12):1906-1920
Diabetes mellitus(DM)is a major metabolic disease endangering global health,with diabetic ne-phropathy(DN)as a primary complication lacking curative therapy.Sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum(GLP),an herbal medicine,has been used for the treatment of metabolic disorders.In this study,DN was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using streptozotocin(STZ)and a high-fat diet(HFD),and the protective mechanisms of GLP were investigated through transcriptomic,metabolomic,and network pharmacology(NP)analyses.0ur results demonstrated that GLP intervention ameliorated renal damage and inflammation levels in DN rats.Integrative metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that GLP treatment modulated glucose and cellular energy metabolisms by regulating relevant genes.GLP significantly suppressed the inflammations by impacting glucose and energy metabolism-related gene expression(Igfbp1 and Angptl4)and enhanced metabolic biomarkers of 4-Aminocatechol.In addition,NP analysis further indicated that GLP may efficiently alleviate DN via immune-related pathways.In conclusion,this study provides supportive evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of GLP supplements,highlighting their potential for promising clinical applications in treating DN.
8.Chinese expert consensus on emergency surgery for severe trauma and infection prevention during corona virus disease 2019 epidemic (version 2023)
Yang LI ; Yuchang WANG ; Haiwen PENG ; Xijie DONG ; Guodong LIU ; Wei WANG ; Hong YAN ; Fan YANG ; Ding LIU ; Huidan JING ; Yu XIE ; Manli TANG ; Xian CHEN ; Wei GAO ; Qingshan GUO ; Zhaohui TANG ; Hao TANG ; Bingling HE ; Qingxiang MAO ; Zhen WANG ; Xiangjun BAI ; Daqing CHEN ; Haiming CHEN ; Min DAO ; Dingyuan DU ; Haoyu FENG ; Ke FENG ; Xiang GAO ; Wubing HE ; Peiyang HU ; Xi HU ; Gang HUANG ; Guangbin HUANG ; Wei JIANG ; Hongxu JIN ; Laifa KONG ; He LI ; Lianxin LI ; Xiangmin LI ; Xinzhi LI ; Yifei LI ; Zilong LI ; Huimin LIU ; Changjian LIU ; Xiaogang MA ; Chunqiu PAN ; Xiaohua PAN ; Lei PENG ; Jifu QU ; Qiangui REN ; Xiguang SANG ; Biao SHAO ; Yin SHEN ; Mingwei SUN ; Fang WANG ; Juan WANG ; Jun WANG ; Wenlou WANG ; Zhihua WANG ; Xu WU ; Renju XIAO ; Yang XIE ; Feng XU ; Xinwen YANG ; Yuetao YANG ; Yongkun YAO ; Changlin YIN ; Yigang YU ; Ke ZHANG ; Xingwen ZHANG ; Guixi ZHANG ; Gang ZHAO ; Xiaogang ZHAO ; Xiaosong ZHU ; Yan′an ZHU ; Changju ZHU ; Zhanfei LI ; Lianyang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2023;39(2):97-106
During coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, the treatment of severe trauma has been impacted. The Consensus on emergency surgery and infection prevention and control for severe trauma patients with 2019 novel corona virus pneumonia was published online on February 12, 2020, providing a strong guidance for the emergency treatment of severe trauma and the self-protection of medical staffs in the early stage of the epidemic. With the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council renaming "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to "novel coronavirus infection" and the infection being managed with measures against class B infectious diseases since January 8, 2023, the consensus published in 2020 is no longer applicable to the emergency treatment of severe trauma in the new stage of epidemic prevention and control. In this context, led by the Chinese Traumatology Association, Chinese Trauma Surgeon Association, Trauma Medicine Branch of Chinese International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, and Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Traumatology, the Chinese expert consensus on emergency surgery for severe trauma and infection prevention during coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic ( version 2023) is formulated to ensure the effectiveness and safety in the treatment of severe trauma in the new stage. Based on the policy of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council and by using evidence-based medical evidence as well as Delphi expert consultation and voting, 16 recommendations are put forward from the four aspects of the related definitions, infection prevention, preoperative assessment and preparation, emergency operation and postoperative management, hoping to provide a reference for severe trauma care in the new stage of the epidemic prevention and control.
9.Kirschner wire reconstruction of periosteal hinge combined with "rolling pin" technique in the treatment of flexion-radial deviated supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children
Hailong MA ; Zhiye GUAN ; Xiwei SUN ; Xiangjun CHU ; Yang LI ; Liang YUAN ; Jun SUN
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2022;38(6):545-550
Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of Kirschner wire reconstruction of periosteal hinge combined with "rolling pin" technique assisting closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation versus closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation in the treatment of flexion-radial deviated supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 85 patients with flexion-radial deviated supracondylar fracture of the humerus treated in Anhui Provincial Children ′s Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021, including 53 males and 32 females; aged 4-14 years [(7.4±2.7)years]. There were 49 patients treated by Kirschner wire reconstruction of periosteal hinge combined with "rolling pin" technique assisting closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation (study group) and 36 patients by closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation (control group). The operation time, number of intraoperative fluoroscopy, rate of incision after failure of closed reduction (hereinafter referred to as rate of incision), fracture healing time, and elbow joint function by Flynn score at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups. Complications were observed at 2 months after operation, such as infection and irritation of the Kirschner pin tail. Results:All patients were followed up for 2-12 months [(6.2±2.2)months]. The operation time and number of intraoperative fluoroscopy was (62.4±21.4)minutes and (34.8±7.1)times in control group, significantly longer or more than (31.2±14.1)minutes and (22.5±5.1) times in study group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The incision rate was 17% in control group, but was 0 in study group ( P<0.01). The fracture healing time had no significant difference between control group and study group [(4.5±0.8)weeks vs. (4.6±0.6)weeks] ( P>0.05). According to Flynn score at the last follow-up, the excellent and good rate of elbow function was 89% in control group (excellent in 26 patients, good in 6, fair in 4, poor in none), not significantly different from 94% in study group (excellent in 41 patients, good in 5, fair in 3, poor in none) ( P>0.05). There was no infection or irritation of the Kirschner pin tail in the two groups at 2 months after operation. Conclusion:Kirschner wire reconstruction of periosteal hinge combined with "rolling pin" technique assisting closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation has similar effect to closed reduction and percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation in the treatment of flexion-radial deviated supracondylar fracture of the humerus, but the former has relatively shorter operation time, less intraoperative fluoroscopy and lower incision rate.
10.Clinicopathological analysis of 56 cases of swimming pool granuloma
Ankang GU ; Yu ZHANG ; Faku MA ; Xiangjun KONG ; Litao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Dermatology 2022;55(9):795-798
Objective:To investigate clinicopathological features of swimming pool granuloma.Methods:From January 2018 to January 2021, 56 patients with swimming pool granuloma were collected from Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, and their clinical and pathological characteristics were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among the 56 patients, 16 were males and 40 were females, with an average age of 60.84 years. The most common exposure type among these patients was handling of infected fishes or seafood by aquaculture workers and residents in daily cooking (31/56) , the average incubation period was 4.58 weeks, and the average time to diagnosis was 3.19 months. All skin lesions were located at the upper extremities, mainly manifesting as erythema and papular nodules, and sometimes as pustules, ulcers, granulomas or verrucous plaques. Eleven patients presented with solitary skin lesions, 36 with sporotrichoid skin lesions, and 6 with bilateral sporotrichoid lesions. Histopathologically, infectious granulomas were observed in all patients except 4 without specific changes, and 37 presented with characteristic exudative necrosis, with varying amounts of fibrinoid exudative or necrotic elements in the center, and a large number of neutrophils, histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells infiltrating inside or around it. Sequences of Mycobacterium marinum were identified in all 56 cases by metagenomic DNA sequencing of pathogenic microorganisms. Conclusion:In Tianjin area, swimming pool granuloma mostly affected elderly females, handling of infected fishes or seafood was the main type of exposure, and skin lesions were histopathologically characterized by exudative necrotic granulomas.

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